Page 41 of The Wiener Across the Way

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KELSEY

After the last person left the family room, we stood together for a second, not saying a word. My world was never quiet. It was all hustle and bustle and cameras and needing to be heard. Not with Deck. He found these kinds of spaces for me, and I didn’t know whether the quiet was a good thing or not.

“Hey,” he said in a way that was a new greeting, starting our meeting all over again but with just the two of us here. His voice carried that same deep, resonant tone that had sent shivers down my spine during our phone calls.

“Hi,” I managed, my voice a little breathless. I was suddenly acutely aware of how close he was standing, how I could feel the heat emanating from his body. “You were incredible out there.”

I honestly only sort of understood when to cheer, but every time he’d taken a player on the other team out like a freaking zombie hunter, I’d shouted and screamed.

The way he moved, the way he carried himself—it wasn’t just confidence. It was a deep, unspoken understanding of his own strength and ability. It drew me in, igniting a flame that I was trying really hard to pretend wasn’t a roaring inferno in my libido.

Which wasn’t good. This couldn’t happen. We both might have some attraction, but in reality, this couldn’t actually happen.

I thought I was attracted to Declan Kingman before. I’d pissed off my agent and my record label rearranging my schedule just to see him again.

He was a gentleman, he was great with my dog who clearly had as big of a crush on him as I did, and his protectiveness made me a little bit swoony. But I’d convinced myself that he was just being a pro and fulfilling our fake-dating agreement.

That was for the best. We both needed to be pros about this. I did not have space in my life for another relationship disaster.

I hadn’t quite compartmentalized that kiss though.

A hint of a smile played on his lips. “Glad you enjoyed the show.”

“It was more than that,” I confessed, my words tumbling out before I could censor them. “Seeing you out there, the way you... took control of the game. It was... it was hot.”

Declan’s eyes darkened, a spark of something more flickering in their depths. He stepped a little closer, taking up all the air in the room. He placed a knuckle under my chin, lifting my face so I had to look up at him. “Is that right?”

Nothing prepared me for watching him play live. Not the hours of highlight reels I’d obsessed over, not watching a game on TV with him and his brothers. Not even reliving that kiss on the quick flight down. His performance on the field added a raw, primal edge to the feelings that were already complicating my life.

Seeing him turn into a feral bear on the field had me wishing I’d brought extra panties. I understood now why they called him the meanest player in the league. At first, I’d been worried that meant he wasn’t a nice guy. Which was patently wrong.

His aggression, his dominating presence, probably scared the poop out of the opposing team. As it should. He’d really taken some of those other players down hard, and every time he did, I got one hell of a thrill.

I nodded, my usual poise faltering under his intense gaze. “I mean, I never thought I’d say this about football, but watching you play... it’s kind of a turn-on.”

What was I doing? This couldn’t happen. Stop it. Stop flirting. Stop telling him how hot you are for him. There was a charged moment of silence as we stood there, the air thick with unspoken words.

“Let’s get out of here.”

I knew what he was asking, and I became a giant wiener. “Where do you and the boys usually go to celebrate?”

“You want to go out?” He shook his head, and his eyes went up, looking at nothing except maybe something in his mind, thinking. “Kels, I’m not sure it’s a smart idea. It could get crazy with fans and paparazzi.”

I was immediately struck by just how much he’d made it his job to keep me safe. But if I’d come down for his game and pissed off my agent and label, they expected me to have something to show for it. And just because I was famous, didn’t mean I couldn’t have a life and be seen out on the town. With some careful planning.

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